Are Catholics “Born Again?”

Our parish has a Q&A feature in which staff members tackle the queries left in a comment box or e-mailed to the parish. I volunteered to reply to the question titled above:

The root of this principle is in John 3:3-5, and it reads:

Jesus said to (Nicodemus), “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.”
Nicodemus said to him, “How can a person once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?”
Jesus answered, “Amen, amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit.

Scripture scholars note that the Greek word ἄνωθεν (anothen) means both “from above” and “again.” Jesus seems to be referring to the first meaning, and Nicodemus seems to misinterpret the Lord, taking the second meaning.

Misunderstandings aside, the notion of being reborn in baptism, in “water and Spirit,” tells of the great significance of the sacrament, and of the commitment to the Christian life it implies. Jesus certainly preaches that those who wish to see and participate in the kingdom of God will experience such a momentous change in their lives, that the notion of a second birth is not an exaggeration.

Many Christians speak of being “born again,” as a graced event in which people, usually adults, experience the Lord in such a significant way that it’s like a whole new life for them. And ideally, this is what all Christians should experience when they commit themselves to Jesus Christ. The question might be raised: does it happen only once? Or is it possible, through a continuing conversion, to go progressively deeper into a Christian commitment to God? The witness of the saints might suggest that this continuing experience is the mark of a godly life.

In baptism, and even as infants, Catholics are “born again,” in the sense Jesus means: “being born of water and Spirit.” It’s no accident that the baptismal font at our parish was designed to suggest a tomb, and that in baptism we participate in death and rebirth, as Saint Paul describes, “We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)

As a child grows, an openness to God’s grace is necessary. The same is true for adults. Baptism is not a magical event, and neither is the evangelical or charismatic experience of being “born again.” Each of these experiences is an opportunity for God’s grace to work in us. But we always have the freedom to choose: we can close ourselves off from divine grace, or we can cooperate with God’s will and live out a Christian life after being “born from above.”

Image Credit: painter Edward Tanner (1899), Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia.

part of this you have right. There is no merit in me. And it was a tough lesson to come to, but perhaps someday God will grant the same eye-opening, soul-shaking experience to you.

Amen. Salvation is all of Christ and none of me. And as you say, that realization is life-changing, as it was meant to be. Pity so many are kept in the dark, fumbling with their own attempts at righteousness when it is Christ's righteousness that washes us clean of our sins.

While the Catholic Church wrongly teaches the Gospels of Matt., Mark, Luke and John are records of Jesus calling men to be good, the real story of these Gospels is that men cannot be good, are not good, will not be good...because they are dead in their trespasses and sin. The Apostle Paul clearly set out this in the letter to the Romans (your org's. hometown). But, it takes God removing the scales from sin-covered eyes for a man to say, "That's true of me."

You may holler YOPIOS to us, but we are rescued because we have been granted a view of just how needy we are. And that is what the Scriptures teach, and that is what any reader would come away with...were they not chained to the false self-help gospel of Rome. The Catholic view props men up to focus on themselves, their accomplishments, their ceremonies, their words of penance (hail mary, our fathers, etc.), their righteousness until the parishioners are more sons of hell than their Pharisaical leaders.No doubt there is a remnant among them, but they are so in spite of Rome, not because of her.

"For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counsellor, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion." -- Isaiah 41:28-29

But, my rebellion against Christ has been undone. I pray (not some silly rosary, but directly to God my Father), that your heart may be softened to reread the Scriptures without the Rome-colored glasses. We love the brothers and sisters in Christ and fellowship with anyone who recognizes Christ is Rescuer, alone.

Amen. "One God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

Terrific post, Dutchboy. May it reach the ears of all His sheep.

How do you know the Thief never got Baptized? A lot of people state that, not just you, but I can't seem to find it. At that time maybe he was Baptized by John's baptism, which is different then the Baptism after Jesus died (Acts 19) and was resurrected, but he may have been baptized. Not that it matters that he did or didn't at that time, Jesus Himself had not been buried and raised. I think a lot of people (relative) were saved by Jesus in the old testament period (Noah, Moses, David, etc), without baptism. Jesus knew at time of John that it would be part of salvation by he did not command it until after he arose (Matt 28:18-20) Today's batism (new testament)is in the likeness of Jesus’s death and Resurrection. Baptism is not the only requirement for the “New Birth” Faith / Belief in Jesus - Think Ethiopian Eunuch, what hinders me, only requirement was he believed. Do infants meet that, can they answer that, can they say “they believe in Jesus with all there heart”? Repentance - does a infant repent? what sins does an infant repent of? Confession - (Jesus is Lord & resurrection) Baptism - like Paul's - wash away your sins, allow/belief work in you. If a Work of Jesus, not the person being baptized. All equal but all useless with Faith/belief in Jesus, can a infant have that faith?

Catsrus wrote:

“You’re missing the point. Baptism does not save us. AS I shared previously, but, it seems apparent that you are very dogmatic and wrong in what you believe.”

I keep asking questions, simple questions, simply trying to engage you in a civil and reasonable discussion. You keep responding with your own preset talking points. And somehow that makes me “very dogmatic and wrong.” Interesting. In psychology this phenomenon is called projection. So, I doubt it will make any difference, but I’ll say it anyway. It is not I, but you who are missing the point.

Catsrus also wrote:

“So, I think your little game is misconstrued.”

Yes, I know you do. And so you refuse the simple question I posed, that is, the fourth question, even though I went first and answered the first three plain, simple, clear questions with no ifs, ands, or buts. There is no trick in the fourth question just as there were no tricks in the first three. So, let’s do it this way. I’ll answer it myself:

4) The two statements: our Lord Jesus Christ saves us, and, our faith saves us, cannot both be true. True or false?

False. Both statements are true.

Now, you tell me why. Do you think you can do that without the shouting and the accusations? Here I will invite others to respond, as I did in my initial post. I extend the invitation to others because I don’t sense now, as I didn’t when I couched the whole issue as a simple game in the first place (trying to make it as easy and transparent as possible), because I had no confidence that you would recognize a good faith offer to discuss seriously and respectfully.

Marysecretary wrote:

“I suppose people come to Christ for different reasons and in different ways. I do believe God does the drawing of that person through various circumstances where you realize your life isn’t what it should be and you know you need Him. We’re also drawn to Him through the Word. It’s all God’s doing. It’s up to us to respond”

Thank you for a civil and not unreasonable response.

I do indeed agree that it is all God’s doing, that He draws us to Himself. That is taught very clearly in the Holy Scriptures. But the next question is this: How does God draw us to Himself? Do the Scriptures tell us anything here that will help us both understand and, even more importantly, give us strength and comfort in our souls in the midst of all the trials and tribulations of life in this fallen and corrupt world? As you might well infer, I would answer that question in the affirmative. In fact, that is the point I have been trying to get to and discuss with our thread-mate, catsrus, who seems to be looking for a fight instead of a discussion. Fights seldom generate light, but they do produce much heat.

Just once I'd like to see a Roman Catholic criticize the pedophilia scandal in the Roman Catholic priesthood without pointing fingers at everyone else, too.

"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.
And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?
While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”" -- Acts 5:1-4

"You banter over baptism, and while you do , you miss the whole meat of the fact that baptism has NOTHING to do with your salvation. This is what happens to people that don’t read their bible but grasp the man made rules of a controlling church system." You say "baptism has NOTHING to do with your salvation" The Bible says "Baptism Now Saves You" I go with God's word! I Peter 3: 18For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; 19in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water. 21(Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you--not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience--through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

corrected:

“You banter over baptism, and while you do , you miss the whole meat of the fact that baptism has NOTHING to do with your salvation. This is what happens to people that don’t read their bible but grasp the man made rules of a controlling church system.”

You say “baptism has NOTHING to do with your salvation” The Bible says “Baptism Now Saves You”
I’ll go with God’s word!

I Peter 3: 18

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

19in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,

20who once were disobedient, when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water.

21(Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Just once I'd like to see a Roman Catholic criticize the pedophilia scandal in the Roman Catholic priesthood without pointing fingers at everyone else, too.

You know they say the best defense is a good offense . But to do that you need solid material..

The fact is that sexual child abuse is far more prevalent among Catholic priests than any other group.. but that is not even the real issue.. the problem is always the coverup.. instead of outing the sin immediately and seeing to the prosecution of the offender, they hid them, covered for them and moved them around giving the perverts reason to believe their sin was "safe" in the church .

That practice is not only abominable but it opened the door for them to continue their sin in a different location..

The cover up would fall under RICO if the church could be held criminally responsible

I understand what you're saying, but to me, the sin itself is what is so corrupt. The cover-up is institutional CYA; it's men's natural tendency to deny the truth and hide their own failings.

But the homosexuality and pedophilia rampant in the Roman Catholic priesthood is emblematic of what that church is at its core -- it follows "another Christ."

And "another Christ" will always be degenerate and a lie.

The cover up would fall under RICO if the church could be held criminally responsible

lol. Exactly. If they didn't plead for "diplomatic immunity."

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